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FILE PHOTO: Steel pipes at a steel and iron factory
America’s plan to impose a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports could severely affect South Africa.
President Donald Trump will unveil the plan on Monday.
It is the latest trade escalation since Trump took office three weeks ago. The blanket new metal tariff could also impact countries including Canada, Brazil, Mexico and South Korea.
According to the Trading Economics website, the United States imported about 518 million dollars worth of iron and steel from South Africa in 2024 and almost 400 million dollars with of aluminum in the same year.
President Trump told reporters on Air Force One that any steel coming into the United States was going to have a 25% tariff and that the same tariff would be applied to aluminum.
During his first term, Trump imposed tariffs of 25% on steel and 10% on aluminum but later granted several trading partners duty-free exemptions, including Canada, Mexico and Brazil.
